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In March 2015, Georgia Food Oasis-Atlanta (GFOA) hosted its first Potluck & Pitch. Potluck & Pitch is a dynamic event derived from the model created by Detroit Soup that combines a public meal with a democratic experiment in micro­funding. The bi-annual event provides a platform and seed funding for the Atlanta community to share homegrown ideas to improve local food access and food systems.

“Sometimes money is tight, especially in this economy, but thank God there are agencies that help families like mine,” said Maria, who receives food from North Fulton Community Charities, a partner agency of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Maria’s husband works full time as a landscaper. “With his income, we have to pay rent, bills and other costs like school supplies,” she said. Four of her children can count on school meals, but when they’re home during the summer, it can be more challenging.

Margaret Williams, Scott Williams, Steve Lustig, Andrzej Popis, Beatrice Knight, Carol Kilgore, Paul Hargaden, Alton Myers, and Jay White all belong to an unofficial, but very special “club” of volunteers who meet at the Food Bank every Thursday to sort food and pack it up for our agency partners who feed people across greater Atlanta and north Georgia. (Not pictured: Bennie Sherwood, Fred Longobardi, Theodore McNealy, Stephanie Watkins and a dedicated group from People Making Progress.)

High school senior Lanarion is excited about graduation and even more excited for what lies ahead. He’s college bound and gives much of the credit to Atlanta Community Food Bank partner agency Create Your Dreams, an exceptional youth development program for at-risk students. “It’s helped shape me to be the man I am today,” he said. “It comes down to two words: life changing.”

It was 2007, and the education and volunteer teams were deep into planning our first Youth Summit on Hunger and Poverty. A few months earlier, we had pitched the idea to our founder, and then executive director, Bill Bolling. I’m not sure he was completely convinced of its merit, but he could tell this was something we were excited about, and he let us take the leap, believing in creative spirit and the power of youth.

It was 2007, and the education and volunteer teams were deep into planning our first Youth Summit on Hunger and Poverty. A few months earlier, we had pitched the idea to our founder, and then executive director, Bill Bolling. I’m not sure he was completely convinced of its merit, but he could tell this was something we were excited about, and he let us take the leap, believing in creative spirit and the power of youth.

"When I first participated in the Atlanta Community Food Bank Youth Leadership Summit in 2010, I enjoyed packaging food for families in the Product Rescue Center and beautifying the Community Gardens. Little did I know, however, that the lessons I learned here would shape the way in which I viewed service in my future service endeavors.

"When I first participated in the Atlanta Community Food Bank Youth Leadership Summit in 2010, I enjoyed packaging food for families in the Product Rescue Center and beautifying the Community Gardens. Little did I know, however, that the lessons I learned here would shape the way in which I viewed service in my future service endeavors.

In the weeks and days leading up to the annual Hunger Walk/Run, our office at the Atlanta Community Food Bank was buzzing with activity. Between printing race packets, conducting press interviews and loading the trucks full of materials, this year’s Hunger Walk/Run was an all-hands-on-deck project that required nearly a full year of preparation. Our organization is privileged to have many veteran employees who have experienced the huge growth of the Hunger Walk/Run over the years.